System and method for connecting a logic circuit simulation to a network

• US 20020101824A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommWorks Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ionipas Transfer Company LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ziedman, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A system and method for connecting a running logic circuit simulation to a network running at a higher speed that includes a computer for receiving data packets from the network and storing the received data packets in a first buffer. The computer next transmits the received data packets to an electronic circuit in the logic circuit simulation at a slower speed. The computer also receives data packets from the electronic device under simulation, and stores the data packets received from the electronic device under simulation in a second buffer. The computer then transmits the data packets received from the electronic device under simulation to the network at a higher speed.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a simulation of an electronic device to a network operating at a speed higher than the electronic device as simulated, the method comprising:

(a) receiving data packets from the network through a network interface;

(b) storing the data packets received from the network in a first buffer in memory;

(c) transmitting the data packets received from the network to the simulation through a software interface;

(d) receiving data packets from the simulation through the software interface; and

(e) transmitting the data packets received from the simulation to the network through the network interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the data packets received from the simulation in a second buffer in memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first buffer comprises a receive buffer and a transmit buffer, said method further comprises:

(a) storing the data packets received from the network in the receive buffer; and

(b) transferring the data packets stored in the receive buffer to the first transmit buffer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second buffer comprises a receive buffer and a transmit buffer, said method further comprises:

storing the data packets received from the network in the receive buffer; and

transferring the data packets stored in the receive buffer to the transmit buffer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the size of the first buffer at run time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding packets of data when the first buffer is full.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising keeping a record of the data packets received from the network, the data packets transmitted to the simulation, the data packets received from the simulation;

and the data packets transmitted to the network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the record on a screen.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing the record in a file.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording the throughput of the data packets.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the packets to make the packets suitable for receipt by the simulation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein modifying includes removing a preamble from a data packet.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data packets from the network, and the storing the data packets received from the network and the transmitting the data packets received from the network are executed in a first thread and the receiving data packets from the simulation and the transmitting the data packets received from the simulation are executed in a second thread.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data packets from the network and the storing of data packets received from the network are executed in a first thread, the transmitting the data packets received from the network is executed in a second thread, the receiving data packets from the simulation and the transmitting the data packets received from the simulation are executed in a third thread.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data packets from the network and the storing of data packets received from the network are executed in a first thread, the transmitting the data packets received from the network is executed in a second thread, the receiving data packets from the simulation is executed in a third thread, and the transmitting the data packets received from the simulation is executed in a fourth thread.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving data packets from the network and the storing of data packets received from the network are executed in a first thread, the transmitting the data packets received from the network is executed in a second thread, the receiving and storing of data packets from the simulation are executed in a third thread, and the transmitting the data packets received from the simulation is executed in a fourth thread.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising an Ethernet cable to connect the computer to the network.

22. The method of claim 2, further comprising discarding data packets when the second buffer is full.

23. The method of claim 3, further comprising discarding data packets when either one of the receive buffer and the transmit buffer is full.

24. The method of claim 4, further comprising discarding data packets when either one of the receive buffer and the transmit buffer is full.

17. A method for testing a system for connecting an electronic device under simulation to a network, the method comprising:

{a} generating a data packet in a first computer;

{b} transmitting the data packet, from the first computer, to a second computer;

(c) transmitting back the data packet received by the second computer to the first computer;

(d) comparing the data packet received by the first computer with the data packet that was sent by the first computer; and

(e) reporting an error if the data packet received by the first computer does not match the data packet that was sent by the first computer.

18. A method for testing a system for connecting an electronic device under simulation to a network, the method comprising:

(a) generating a data packet in a first computer;

(b) from the first computer, transmitting the data packet to a second computer;

(c) at the second computer, storing the data received from the first computer in a first buffer in the second computer;

(d) at the second computer, transmitting the data stored in the first buffer to a third computer;

(e) at the third computer, transmitting back the data packet received to the second computer;

(f) at the second computer, transmitting the data received from the third computer to the first computer;

(g) at the first computer, comparing the data packet received with the data packet that was sent; and

(h) reporting an error if the data packet received by the first computer does not match the data packet sent by the first computer.

19. An apparatus for connecting an electronic device to a network running at a speed higher than an electronic device under simulation, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a computer having a memory;

(b) a first buffer in the memory; and

(c) computer instructions executable by the computer for;

receiving data packets from the network;

storing data packets received from the network in the first buffer;

transmitting the data packets received from the network to the electronic device under simulation at a slower speed;

receiving the data packets from the electronic device under simulation; and

transmitting the data packets received from the electronic device under simulation to the network at a higher speed.

21. A computer readable medium having computer instructions to perform in a computer:

(a) receiving data packets from the network;

(b) storing data packets received from the network in a first buffer;

(c) transmitting the data packets received from the network to an electronic device under simulation at a slower speed;

(d) receiving the data packets from the electronic device under simulation; and

(e) transmitting the data packets received from the electronic device under simulation to the network at a higher speed.